Amazon is set to launch 32 new internet satellites into orbit aboard Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket on Thursday, marking a major step in its efforts to rival SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.
According to Agence France-Presse, the powerful Ariane 6 rocket will carry the satellites into orbit from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The launch window is scheduled between 16:45 and 17:13 GMT, with the satellites expected to be deployed at an altitude of approximately 465 kilometers above Earth.
This mission will be the first of 18 launches to be conducted by Arianespace on behalf of Amazon as part of a new partnership between the European launch provider and the US technology giant.
Amazon currently has 175 internet satellites in orbit, launched in cooperation with United Launch Alliance and SpaceX. However, the company plans to deploy a total of around 3,200 satellites under its Project Kuiper initiative, aiming to compete directly with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services.
To accommodate the growing satellite payload, Ariane 6 has been upgraded for this mission. For the first time, the rocket is equipped with four additional side boosters and an expanded payload fairing, nearly doubling its carrying capacity to 21.6 tons, compared with the previous 10–11 tons.
Martin van Deldon, head of business development and commercial strategy for Amazon’s European satellite operations, said the company intends to increase the number of satellites launched per mission in future deployments.
Ariane 6 is Europe’s next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, developed to replace the Ariane 5 rocket. It is produced in two variants: Ariane 62, fitted with two solid boosters and capable of carrying up to five tons to orbit, and Ariane 64, equipped with four boosters and able to transport up to 10.5 tons.
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